I can’t be the only one holding out to upgrade to Apple’s iPhone 6! Technology is always changing. As soon as you buy the latest & greatest gadget there’s always a new, improved version! In the early 80’s I remember the day we bought an Apple IIe…that was a BIG deal (I was in Kindergarten…some things you never forget.) The graphics weren’t quite as good as the iPads we use today…love the old green screen. That wasn’t that long ago. My punk is in 1st grade & right or wrong he’s had his own iPod for a few years. He FaceTimes or texts me when I’m gone to a meeting or combining corn to say goodnight. He takes pictures, plays games (someone please explain the Minecraft addiction all the kids have around here), and loves listening to music. He’s 7…what will he see in his lifetime? Technology is exciting!

The technology for other apple companies may be changing/’updating’ too. If approved by the USDA & Food & Drug Administration, there will be genetically modified apples in grocery stores. Arctic Granny Smith and Arctic Golden Delicious apples made by Canada’s Okanagan Specialty Fruits have been under review by U.S. regulatory agencies since 2010 and could become the second genetically modified fruit (the Hawaiian papaya was the first) to be allowed in the country. Some are calling them the ‘botox’ apple because they are designed to prevent bruising and browning. But it’s not just for looks according to Okanagan “Not only do they have significant potential to reduce food waste, the resistance to browning results in better taste, texture and likely a retention of healthful components like vitamin C and antioxidants, which are typically burned up in the browning reaction,” says Joel Brooks, Marketing Specialist at Okanagan. Are consumers ready for “GMO” apples? I’m pretty sure people won’t be waiting in line for the latest ‘apple’ like they would for an Apple iphone. For many, biotechnology is a mystery & the media has painted a pretty ugly picture…corn with syringes in it, ‘frankenfood’, etc.

Biotechnology is not just an agricultural thing. In the medical field, biotechnology helps develop new medicines and vaccines, and can be used to use normal genes to target or replace defective genes or boost immunity. That doesn’t sound so bad. If you were diagnosed with cancer wouldn’t you want the best treatments/technology available? Without vaccines we could have epidemics like polio where in the 1940s and 1950s, polio would paralyze or kill over half a million people worldwide every year.

There are many different types of technology that have changed our lives, and I many not be comparing “Apples to apples” but it’s interesting to see how we all WANT (me included) the latest gadget or the best medical treatment but fear technology that could increase the nutritional value of foods and help the environment. We choose to grow GMO corn & soybeans on our farm. Stay tuned…I’ll explain why, and what GMOs do for our farm.

Are you confused about what food to buy for your family? There are labels on everything from meat to ketchup bottles! What does it all mean…GMOs & HFCS?!? Do you wonder if it’s safe to feed to your family? Is organic better? Hormones..antibiotics…?? It’s confusing!

To add to the confusion Chipotle just debuted the first of a ‘comedy’ series they made. According to the chief marketing and development officer at Chipotle and an executive producer of the show “Our goal in making the show was to engage people through entertainment and make them more curious about their food and where it comes from.” He says, “It’s not a show about Chipotle, but rather integrates the values that are at the heart of our business. The more people know about how food is raised, the more likely they will be to choose food made from better ingredients — like the food we serve at Chipotle.”

Really. How are they teaching people how their food is raised? If you haven’t seen, they feed a cow oil pellets & the cow blows up. Why would farmers feed cows oil…farmers care about their cows & seriously if the cows blow up they wouldn’t make any money? Unbelievable. Where to start??

Join along on my journey. I would love to show you the true values that are at the heart of OUR business. I’m a farmer, growing corn, soybeans, & hay that cares about the land & what we grow. I’m a mother that wants the best for my punk. I’m a wife…that occasionally cooks. I’m also a CommonGround volunteer that wants to help answer questions you may have about your food & farming.

CommonGround is a group of volunteer farm women sharing our stories and trying to answer questions you may have about your food. Please ask questions! The great part about CommonGround is if I don’t have the answer there are 100+ ladies, from 16 different states, with a wide range of farming backgrounds that we can ask. Ask a farmer! We really do care. Chipotle’s ‘comedy’ series is a personal attack on us, farm families…97% of farms are family farms.

Please don’t fear your food! And there really are no dumb questions…please ask.

It’s game day! I have to admit I am one of “those” people who watch for the commercials, to eat good food & hang out with friends. I loved playing sports in high school but have never really watched sports on T.V much.

There are a hand full of commercial that stick out in my mind when I think of the Super Bowl. Of course, RAM’s God Made a Farmer was my most memorable for 2013. As a kid I grew up listening to Paul Harvey on the radio religiously with my family at the dinner table. My other all time favorites have been Budweiser’s frog & Clydesdale ads. To see some of the best commercials ever you can go to the following link…

ABOUT ME

My name is Steph Essick. I'm a farmer from NW Iowa growing corn, soybeans & hay, mother of a 7yr old boy (a.k.a. the Punk), wife of an agronomist & daughter of the best parents a girl could ask for. Join our journey of life on an Iowa farm.